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By April 1st, James Daw and his committee had completed the first rough draft of the Constitution and By-Laws. This would be ready for voting by the membership at the 1962 convention. The National Office was appointing State Chairmen regularly, and by December, 37 states had been assigned as follows:
With the aid of these State Chairmen, PHSA launched full scale into Operation S.O.S. - Seek Out Survivors. This concerted effort would add many new names to the evergrowing membership list. State conventions and memorials were being planned for those who could not attend the National Convention. PHSA leadership was no longer just a handful of men - new names and new faces were appearing to help carry the ball. This was evident at the 1962 Convention in Long Beach, California, when these chairmen from eleven states attended:
These men and the other State Chairmen had been working in their own states, organizing chapters with the new survivors they had located. The work load of PHSA had been spread across the nation. At the business meeting of the 1962 Convention, the membership unanimously ratified their PHSA Constitution and By-Laws. Official elections were held and the following were now in office:
President Ferris appointed Howard Dailey Historian and George Haines Chaplain. The membership voted their National Patriot Award to Admiral Nimitz, and unanimously acclaimed St. Louis as their 1963 Convention Site. |
From its inception in 1958 to December, 1963, PHSA had grown from a group of eleven survivors to a total of 849 paid members (325 life) and 3,000 located but not joined. There was still much to be done, and PHSA was ready now for the big thrust forward. With new blood coursing through the veins of the Association, the present leadership would soon step down to make room for new vision, vitality and direction. 1963 saw many changes in the reshuffling of administrative duties. In August, Ted Nicolai resigned as Treasurer and James Daw was appointed to this position, resigning as 2nd Vice President. To fill this vacancy, Charles Blazek of Wisconsin was appointed 2nd Vice President. In October, James Daw resigned as Treasurer and Howard Daily was appointed to this position.
To complete the changeover, at the December convention in St. Louis, the
membership unanimously voted the following into office for a term of two
years under constitutional law:
The St. Louis convention was a milestone in the history of PHSA. The Constitution and By-Laws, having been skillfully streamlined and revised by Gene Lindsey and Charles Blazek, were read in full and adopted by the membership. PHSA's first Man of the Year Award was presented to Carl Engstrom of Illinois.
Under the revised Constitution, the United States had been divided into eight
districts, and the following were elected as the first District Directors
of PHSA:
These eight District Directors and the three National Officers would now comprise the eleven man Executive Board of PHSA. One administration was ending, and a new one beginning, but the goal of PHSA remained constant, always: "Remember Pearl Harbor, Keep America Alert." |
The new administration elected in St. Louis in 1963 set to work immediately. In February, the National Office was moved from Los Angeles, California, to Jefferson City, Missouri, at a rental fee of $20.00 per month. But all was not to go smoothly at first. Financially, PHSA was in debt. At the December, 1963, St. Louis convention, the treasurer's report stated the amount as $5,628.34. And now several chapters were withholding dues, due to the fact that PHSA had been incorporated in California but the Association allowed its charter to be revoked. The National Office was now located in Missouri. However, this was cleared up when a Certificate of Incorporation under the general Non-for-Profit Corporation Act was granted to PHSA on June 30, 1964, at 101 East High Street, Jefferson City, Missouri. Gene Lindsey and Charles Blazek now applied themselves to the struggle of clearing the debts of the PHSA. A new financial structure and bookkeeping system was instituted and a CPA audit of books was put into effect. Tax exemption was applied for by Gene Lindsey and granted by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to PHSA as a Non-prof it Veteran's Association, the determination letter issued December 31, 1 965, in St. Louis, Missouri (St. L. - EC - 65 - 136). Meanwhile, publicity and promotion of PHSA was advancing due to the efforts of Vice-President Charles Blazek. He made six separate mailings (first class letters) to 15,000 newspapers, radio and TV stations across the country. During this publicity campaign, 1,800 new members joined, and by December, 1964, 28 chapter charters had been granted. As the roster grew, the National Office began a system of mailing a list of paid members and located survivors to the District Directors, State Chairmen and Chapters. These records were placed on modern data processing equipment with the roster updated quarterly. To organize methods of operation, Charles Blazek wrote an Administrative Manual which outlined procedures for all administrative levels. In May, 1964, Howard Dailey, California, resigned his position as Secretary-Treasurer and Carl Engstrom, Illinois, was appointed to the vacancy. During the reconstruction of the systems at the National Office, individual chapters and members had not been forgotten. Programs for their benefit were established: Quarterly rebates of dues to District Directors and State Chairmen to be given to local chapters was begun. Made available now to chapters were the organizational flags bearing the insignia of PHSA. (Application for the trademark registration had been started in March, 1963, but no record of any Certificate of Registration was on file. The administration applied to the U.S. Patent Office on March 5, 1965, and the trademark registration, Patent Number 802,416, was granted to PHSA on January 18, 1966, at the address of Jefferson City, Missouri.) |
On January 16, 1966, Carl Engstrom resigned as Secretary-Treasurer and John C. Berlier was appointed to the position. The National Office began purchasing savings bonds with surplus funds, and throughout the year the energies of the Lindsey-Blazek-Berlier administration were directed toward coordinating plans for the 25th anniversary reunion in Hawaii. No one can ever total up the amount of hours spent by the executive staff, committees and individual PHSA members in this gigantic undertaking - hours of phone calls, meetings and paper work necessary to make arrangements for travel, reservations, banquet facilities, memorial service, guest speakers, tours, etc. But the culmination proved to be well worth the effort: the largest single group visit to descend on Oahu - a total of 701 members plus 953 guests attended the memorable Return to Pearl, December 4-10, 1966. The phenomenal low cost for each member was only $289.50 from the West coast, and later $13.25 was returned to each adult traveling via the official agency (Fitzpatrick). The impressive memorial service was held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, a picturesque site stretching across the crater of a long extinct volcano. Ceremonies included a prayer of remembrance at exactly 7:55, twenty-five years to the minute of the never-to-be-forgotten attack, and wreaths were placed at the monument bearing names of all who gave their lives that fateful day. The memorial service was carried live via satellite from Hawaii to the mainland. This was the third program to be telecast live from Hawaii. The years of struggle and effort by the many members to keep their Association alive had their fulfillment in that moment, for this was the heart of the return - survivors caught up in pensive remembrance of those who had not survived, those who had given their lives for their country and fellow man. But there was also the business of running the Association. At the membership meeting of the reunion, the main item on the agenda was the election of new officers. Gene Lindsey and Charles Blazek had given three years of superlative service, and the challenge of maintaining PHSA as an invigorating, vital Association would now fall on new shoulders. Henry Shane, Florida, was elected President, Jerry Gammon, Missouri, Vice President, and John Berlier, Indiana, re-elected Secretary- Treasurer.
In recognition of his magnificent record, Gene Lindsey was unanimously voted
as Honorary President for life. District Directorships were also voted on,
and the following were elected:
Lapel pins and decals were made available to members. Grave markers (memorial plaques) came into being. These were ordered at a cost of $3.50 to PHSA, to be presented to the next of kin of a deceased member in good standing. In June, 1964, a Pearl Harbor stamp was issued at $1.00 per sheet, toward the liquidation of unpaid bills and a scholarship. The first issue of the Pearl Harbor-Gram appeared in October, 1964, and was mailed out to members under non-profit postal permit #53. A bronze plaque from PHSA honoring the dead was placed aboard the Arizona Memorial on July 28, 1965. Lifetime memberships were offered for $40.00. A copy of the Constitution and By-Laws was sent to all members. The Pearl Harbor attack films were purchased for use of members. The Executive Board, through the recommendation of Gene Lindsey, voted not to hold a National Convention in 1964. However, a Pacific Northwest Reunion was held in Portland, Oregon, under the guidance of Fred McEnany, Oregon State Chairman ; James Sinnott, Washington State Chairman; and George Gillespie, 2nd District Director. The Executive Board had a fine two year record for 1964-65, bringing about many excellent innovations. Due to the determination of Gene Lindsey and the fortitude of Charles Blazek, the debt had been liquidated, and at the Clearwater, Florida, convention in December, 1965, the Lindsey-Blazek-Engstrom team plus the eight District Directors were again voted into office for another year. Their next big task would be the "Return to Pearl" - the historic 25th Anniversary Reunion in 1966. |
1969-1970 - STILL GETTING TOGETHER In 1969, PHSA held a National Memorial Service at Arlington National Cemetery on December 7th. Gathering together at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the members paid homage to their dead as the officers placed the wreath. It seemed fitting that there was a quiet snow falling on this solemn occasion. Membership contests continued, and by December, 1970, PHSA listed 3,835 members, 1,338 life, with 75 chartered chapters. A new Unit was designated for nurses, #1 27, with Mrs. Anna Busby named Whitecap Chairman.
At the business meeting of the 1970 New York convention, election of national
officers was the foremost order of the day. Henry Shane had skillfully led
the Association since the Hawaiian return in 1966, and Jerry Gammon had done
an effective job as Vice President and Membership Chairman. It was now someone
else's turn to man these positions. E. Raymond Glover of Alderwood Manor,
Washington, was elected President and Allen (Bo) Wilson of Lincoln, Nebraska,
Vice President, with John Berlier of Indianapolis, Indiana again receiving
unanimous acclamation as Secretary-Treasurer. The selection of District Directors
was also on the agenda, per constitutional law, and the following were
elected:
These newly elected officers and District Directors would now turn their attention to the next big reunion - another return to Pearl Harbor in 1971. |
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END OF PHSA HISTORY |
